It’s that time of year when beautification projects spring into view. The long-awaited enhancement project for Russellville’s downtown area is coming to fruition.

Work on the Downtown West Main Sidewalk Improvement project, also known as the bulb out and crosswalk project, is slated to begin today, according to a press release from Jimmy Streett, chairman of the Downtown Master Plan Steering Committee.

A pre-construction meeting will be begin 5 p.m. today on the first floor of Russellville City Hall. This meeting is for downtown merchants and other interested residents to become familiar with the construction schedule.

The schedule was designed to minimize inconveniences to businesses and traffic flow during the construction period. The contractor is Hard Rock Construction, a local company operated by Kevin Smoke.

The contract period for construction should be 165 days, but Hard Rock is optimistic it can finished sooner, the release stated.

“This should be one of the most visually and functionally transformative projects we have seen downtown in memory. The intersection of Main and Commerce is the emphasized area of a number of improvements such as the permanent paver and granite crosswalks, and the curb extensions and landscaping,” according to the release.

Parking and lane modifications are recommendations for later stages of the Master Plan which may or may not be implemented.

Also, one of the great benefits of this project is that it is being done under a grant from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (ATHD). Because of that, AHTD has given the city permission to cut the highway to install the crosswalks.

Water lines and extra utility conduits will be installed to allow for potential underground utilities and to allow water access for the landscaping. This is at minimal cost because the highway is being cut and excavated for the crosswalks anyway, and would otherwise be cost prohibitive.

“This is perhaps one of the best examples of the efficiencies,” Streett said. “Having a comprehensive downtown master plan, coupled with the ATHD’s permission to cut, will save Russellville many tens of thousands of dollars.”

According to the press release, this is the first major implementation piece of the Downtown Master Plan.

Other forthcoming projects include establishing a complete street El Paso corridor between the downtown and Arkansas Tech University, as well as numerous non-brick and mortar projects aimed at providing resources to private property owners downtown for building revitalization.

“We are excited that these ongoing public improvements to the downtown are being coupled with numerous new businesses moving downtown since this project began, including Fat Daddy’s BBQ, Lavish Boutique, and Beach Shack Too,” Streett said.

“We are also excited that numerous downtown property owners are now moving forward with renovating the downtown second floors as residential apartments, a vital component of the Downtown Master Plan.”